Alexei Ramirez vs. Alfonso Soriano

    I was at the Walk-a-Thon the White Sox and Clayton Richard called yesterday's game, watching Alexei Ramirez swing through a pitch for yet another K, when a nearby fan mentioned something very interesting - he compared Alexei to Alfonso Soriano.

   When Alexei was first signed by the Sox, many used the left fielder for the Cubs as a sort of comparison. Since the fan made the reference, it got me thinking to just how much has Alexei Ramirez has resembled this model and how close to those expectations has he come. Keep in mind that Soriano was only 1 year younger then Alexei when he played his first full season for the Yankees.

     Also keep in mind that for the purpose of having somewhat close data, I extrapolated Alexei Ramirez's current '09 numbers over a full season of 158 games (the same number of games Soriano played in his first and second full season).

     Here are Soriano's stats:

       G     R     2B    3B   HR    RBI   BB   SO   SB   CS   AVG   OBP   SLUG   OPS

    316  205   85     3     57    175   52  282   84   17    .284   .318     490     .808

      Here are Ramirez's:

      G      R      2B   3B    HR    RBI    BB    SO    SB    CS   AVG   OBP   SLUG   OPS

    294  146   40     3     43    160    63    136    37    15    .284   .320.   451.    .772

   So we can clearly see that Soriano has had the better career to that point. But while Ramirez has the lesser stats overall, he does beat Soriano in one area - K/BB ration. Soriano checks in at a 5.5 K:BB ratio, while Ramirez checks in at a 2.2 K:BB ratio. This stat may shock most Sox fans, who are prone to believe that since Ramirez is a free swinger, he strikes out often. On the contrary, his free swinging often results in contact, which is preferable to striking out. At least getting the bat on the ball is a good start. This leads me to believe that once Ramirez learns to use the other field more, he'll eventually become a better hitter.

   Speedwise, I can't tell. Soriano's speed has clearly declined, and while I can't say Ramirez's will as well, he hasn't exactly lit up the basepaths like Soriano has. He is, however, on pace for a 20-20, and most likely a 20-20-20 season. And if he begins to use the right field corner and right center alley more often, we could get used to seeing some 20-20-20-20 seasons out of him.(After re-reading this a couple of times, 20 triples on a consistent basis does sound like a longshot, but I'll stand by my assessment of that potential for him. Not saying it will happen for sure, but with him it is a possibility). I'd say that sounds pretty good for a skinny boy out of Cuba.

   So what do you guys think? Will Ramirez or Soriano turn out to be the better career hitter? And this is my first fanpost since joining your site, though I've been a fan and a reader for a while. So i appreciate feedback but be gentle!